Recent advances in the heavy metals removal using ammonium molybdophosphate composites: A review

Heavy metal contamination in water poses serious environmental and public health risks, driving advancements in remediation techniques. Ammonium molybdophosphate (AMP) composites have emerged as highly efficient adsorbents due to their ion-exchange capabilities, chemical stability, and specificity toward toxic metal ions. This review aims to synthesize recent scientific advances in the synthesis, functionalization, characterization, and application of AMP composites for heavy metal (HM) removal. It also emphasizes the technological, economic, and environmental challenges associated with their use and outlines future research directions to support their sustainable and effective large-scale implementation. The originality of this study lies in identifying advanced techniques for the functionalization of AMP composites, including hybrid approaches, while addressing regulatory, economic, and industrial aspects, to support a sustainable and circular scientific framework. This review emphasizes recent developments in AMP-based materials through the innovation of synthesis, functionalization, and hybridization with polymers and nanomaterials, which improve their adsorption efficiency and selectivity. The HMs' adsorption mechanism and integration of AMP composite into complicated water treatment systems will be probed. Scalability, regeneration, and multiple contaminant interactions are critically evaluated as limitations in addition to the synthesis cost of AMP composites. Further research efforts should optimize the AMP material to meet industrial-scale applications while using cost-effective means that offer a broader appeal toward environmental sustainability. AMP composites are highlighted as promising green and selective processes for heavy metal remediation.